Maryland Election Board to Question Vendor After Ballot Mix-Up

The Maryland State Board of Elections is set to question its mail ballot vendor, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions, after the company mistakenly sent out hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots to voters belonging to the wrong political party.

This significant error has prompted the board to invite representatives from the Minnesota-based vendor to its upcoming meeting on July 23 to discuss the circumstances surrounding the mix-up.

As the situation unfolded, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions did not respond to requests for comment. The vendor's inability to identify which voters received incorrect ballots has raised concerns, especially as scrutiny mounts from political figures, including former President Donald Trump, who has advocated for restrictions on mail-in voting.

Alysoun McLaughlin, director of the Election Resilience Lab at the University of Maryland, noted that while errors in elections are not uncommon, the scale of this mistake places significant responsibility on election officials to manage the fallout. “This is the first time we’ve had this many voters’ ballots reissued,” she stated.

In response to the error, state election officials have been working diligently to inform affected voters. They have sent out notifications via postcard, email, and text message, instructing voters to use replacement ballots marked as such. As of July 5, approximately one-third of primary votes cast were submitted by mail, totaling nearly 300,000 votes.

Local election boards, including those in Baltimore City and surrounding counties, reported receiving around 9,000 original ballots from voters who had not submitted replacement ballots. The board has emphasized that it will ensure only one ballot per voter is counted, adhering to established protocols.

At a recent board meeting on June 25, Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis reassured members that they would have the opportunity to hear directly from Taylor representatives. Board member Eric Bryant commented that this meeting would provide transparency to both Maryland residents and the broader national audience.

McLaughlin highlighted that outsourcing ballot mailings has become essential due to increased public demand for mail-in voting. However, she cautioned against hastily terminating vendor contracts in response to mistakes, suggesting that it is crucial to evaluate how to better oversee vendor relationships moving forward.

As the state navigates the aftermath of this error, local elections boards are continuing their ballot counting processes while ensuring adherence to the established voting protocols.

Reported by HarborBeat based on The Baltimore Banner (source).